


Nightmares in the Dark (and a Warm Embrace)

by Vagabond



Series: The Many Adventures of Dr. Frederick Chilton [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, frederick chilton is my baby, he deserves love, sleepy prompt, snuggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2014-04-30
Packaged: 2018-01-21 08:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1544756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagabond/pseuds/Vagabond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No, the soft mumbles were reserved for pleasant dreams and Frederick always listens to them in the hope that he hears his name somewhere in their midst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmares in the Dark (and a Warm Embrace)

**Author's Note:**

> Have some Will/Frederick fluff based on something Madnizilla said on tumblr.

Frederick Chilton sits awake at night while Will sleeps, and he listens. 

It isn’t every night, because most nights he spends with Will are preceded by getting fucked into the mattress and it seems to give them both a sense of comfort. Some nights, though, when they fall into bed at different times or Will is working late and doesn’t return home until after Frederick has gone to bed, one or both slip into the realm of nightmares where there is no sense of comfort. This particular night, Frederick crawled into bed and fell asleep before Will returned home from a late meeting with Jack and immediately fell into a tumultuous dream state. 

If he closes his eyes he can still see the images from the depths of his cruel subconscious. He sees Hannibal and his glowing red eyes as he shoves a knife deep into Frederick’s chest and then yanks it out to watch him bleed. Then he’s running in snow, running as fast as he can, stumbling over snow drifts and fallen logs. It isn’t Jack who pursues him in his dreams, though. It is Hannibal; Hannibal and the ghosts of the two FBI agents killed and the faint image of Abel Gideon that stands by and laughs at the whole debacle. 

Oftentimes he wakes up in tears when the nightmares hit, but even though Will had been beside him when he woke, he didn’t have the heart to wake him. 

So instead, Chilton sits and listens to Will’s breathing. He listens to the sounds of the dogs as they patrol the house before curling back up in their respective spots to sleep. Frederick does his best to ignore the wind when it rattles the windows and breaths deeply whenever he feels a dark presence looming behind him. 

He also likes to listen to Will when the other man mumbles in his sleep. It is one of the ways he knows the other man isn’t having a nightmare. Since he’d begun sleeping over, Frederick had learned that Will would often shake and sweat during a nightmare, but never talk. He would never bolt upright in the middle of the night or even so much as whimper. No, the soft mumbles were reserved for pleasant dreams and Frederick always listens to them in the hope that he hears his name somewhere in their midst. 

He hates himself for it but knows he needs that reassurance because he wants Will to care about him as much as he cares about Will. 

“Frederick,” Will murmurs and Frederick nearly jumps out of his skin as his lover touches his thigh gently, “nightmare?” 

“Yes.” Frederick replies and feels an intense sense of shame as he shyly looks down into the sleepy grey-blue eyes peering up at him. 

“C’mon.” Will sits up just enough to put his arms around Frederick to pull him down into a warm embrace. It takes a bit of scooting around before they settle, but Frederick presses his back flush to Will’s chest and shivers when the other man’s lips brush against his neck. 

“Will,” is what Frederick whispers as he turns in the embrace so they are chest to chest and presses their lips together desperately. His eyes slide shut and he allows the warmth of Will’s body chase away the nightmarish images lurking behind his eyelids. One of Will’s hands slips under his shirt and moves to rest flush against his lower back and Frederick slides one of his legs between his lover’s to slot their bodies together. 

Then he breaks the kiss and tucks his head under Will’s chin while he curls his fingers in the man’s shirt. They lay like that for a few moments as the tension slowly drains from Frederick’s body and he finally relaxes, turning his head to press his cheek to Will’s collarbone. 

“Safe, Frederick,” Will’s voice is sleepy as he hums softly and strokes his fingers against the curve of Frederick’s back, “there are no monsters here other than us.” 

Frederick laughs and it is light and breathy and he tries to not let the truth of that statement sink in and finally allows a dreamless sleep to overtake him.


End file.
